The Campus Intifada Is a Golden Opportunity for Those Who Study Israel Seriously

The protesters who burst into the first class I taught last semester at Columbia University are, no doubt, living proof of just how difficult it is to teach about Israel at prestigious American universities. Ironically, the protesters barged into the room shouting against “the Zionist lecturer who came to preach Zionism” and the students who only wanted to learn, just as I was explaining that in this course, “The History of Modern Israel,” we would be studying both the Palestinian narrative—which regards the 1948 war as “the Nakba,” the culmination of the Palestinian catastrophe—and the Israeli narrative, which regards 1948 as the climax of the process of national redemption and the War of Independence.

The protesters, some of whom were students, ignored my invitation to join the class and express their opinions during the lesson. They came to shout and protest, not to debate or learn. This incident weighed on my students and naturally made it harder for me to focus on the reason I had come to Columbia in the first place: to teach and conduct research.

Yet despite the difficulties, this incident—which drew special attention because it occurred in a classroom and was captured on a viral video—also had a positive impact. Immediately afterward, the waiting list for the course increased. During the semester, my students and I felt that we were not only learning history but also experiencing a historic period firsthand. These circumstances certainly made class more meaningful for both the students and for me.